Adult Education Initiatives

About Us

Adult Education Initiatives supports adult education programs around the state with funding, program oversight, and technical assistance. Adult education programs offer services that include teaching reading, math, and English foundations, preparing learners with college and career readiness skills that lead to employment or the transition to post-secondary education, and helping parents obtain the educational skills necessary to become full partners in the education of their children.

Outcomes include improving the literacy and numeracy skills of their students as measured by regularly-administered standardized assessments, transitioning students to postsecondary education, employment or job training, the attainment of a high diploma or its equivalent, and earnings outcomes.

Colorado has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country (4.2 percent), but unemployment levels and median earning differ significantly based on an individual's’ educational attainment. Average earnings continue to be higher for those with higher levels of education: adults that did not graduate high school have an unemployment rate of 6.4 percent and $23,004 in median earnings; adults that graduated high school have an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent and $30,568 in median earnings; adults with a bachelor’s degree have a significantly lower unemployment rate of 2.1% and $48,818 in median earnings.1​

The 2014-15 Colorado Skills for Jobs Report notes that by the year 2020, it is estimated that 64 percent of all jobs, nationally, will require post-secondary education. In Colorado, however, 74 percent of all jobs statewide will require some level of post-secondary education or training by the year 2020, well exceeding the national average. As a critical partner in Colorado’s workforce system, the Office of Adult Education Initiatives (AEI) is committed to improving adult educational attainment that will lead to meaningful employment, helping to break cycles of poverty and building stronger local areas within Colorado.